If a picture really is worth a thousand words, then just have a look at the beautiful cigar above. Well, okay, we do have to talk about it just a little...that lush milk chocolate Ecuador Sumatra wrapper leaf, the perfect construction, tasteful bands...it's even better looking in person.

Which is, of course, how it should be considering this is a $22 cigar. Yep. Altadis has never been shy about charging real money for anything wearing the Montecristo band, and you know they were licking their chops figuring out how to price this special 80th Anniversary edition. Forget for a moment that it's not even really their anniversary...they're celebrating the origin of the Cuban brand, and of course this is Dominican, but whatever.

One thing Altadis has going for it is vast resources, including a library of rare tobaccos they can deploy for special projects like this. The aforementioned Ecuador wrapper leaf covers Dominican Olor binder, which in turn hugs a bunch of Dominican filler leaves dating as far back as 2010 including a variety called Pilotico known for its rich flavor and low yields. There is also a smattering of Nicaraguan Criollo and Corojo in their to spice things up.

Check out the presentation above. Now add in the fact that the cigar looks gorgeous and smells like the dessert cart at a really good restaurant and you can see why Altadis is getting away with charging $22. Yep, it's a tough one to resist.

As you'd expect, despite the unique tobacco blend, this cigar is blended to be a crowd pleaser and not a small-batch curiosity that only appeals to hardcore cigar buffs. Basically, this is the cigar equivalent of one of those expense account restaurants in south Florida. Good shrimp cocktail...not worth $22, but darn good. Good caesar salad....not worth $17, but darn good. You get what we're saying.

It tastes of sweet and bitter cocoa, light leather, earth, nuts and toast. Being a crowd pleaser, it's hardly strong. More like mild to medium. For some reason, Altadis claims this is very full bodied. Don't be put off.

No BS, this is actually a pretty rare smoke; it sold out quickly at our local B&M, which was unable to order any more. If you really want to pay $22 for a non-Cuban Montecristo, don't hesitate on pulling the trigger because you might not get a second chance. There are better cigars out there for the money, but we certainly understand if you can't resist a pretty face.